Hutchinson Fire Department honors 2025 award recipients at annual ceremony

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The Hutchinson Fire Department gathered Saturday to recognize outstanding members of the department at its annual awards ceremony, celebrating excellence in service, leadership and emergency medical care.

The event, held March 14, drew department members together to honor colleagues whose contributions stood out over the past year.

Kahler Dixon earned the Rookie of the Year award, recognizing exceptional performance among first-year personnel. Dalyn Anderson was named Firefighter of the Year, the department's top recognition for line-level firefighting excellence. Brad Hiebert received the Engineer of the Year award for distinguished performance in apparatus operation and technical duties.

Luke Fawcett was honored as EMT of the Year for outstanding contributions to the department's emergency medical services operations. Todd Arheart took home the Officer of the Year award, recognizing superior leadership among the department's command staff.

The Chiefs Award — presented at the discretion of department leadership to recognize members who have gone above and beyond — was given to three recipients this year: Justin Holzrichter, Cameron Meier and Rick Spitler.

The Hutchinson Fire Department serves the city of Hutchinson and surrounding areas, providing fire suppression, rescue and emergency medical services.